


To Forge & To Hold

by dcharmaine



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: F/M, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-24
Updated: 2015-12-26
Packaged: 2018-04-16 22:33:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4642542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dcharmaine/pseuds/dcharmaine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Jordan's intense mother comes for a visit, Lydia pretends to be Jordan's girlfriend</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Trust Me

**Author's Note:**

> Part one is just the setup. Part two will be better.

“Jordan I don’t know about this,” she crossed her arms and planted her right foot into the ground. “What about Evan? Do you realize how long it’s taken him to finally take my bait? I’m going out with him tomorrow.” Evan. I never did like that guy, but Lydia was intent on dating him. He’s just… not good enough for Lydia. Don’t ask me how or why, because I can’t pin point exactly what’s wrong with him. I just know he’s no good.

She was my roommate, but she was also my best friend. I knew I was asking too much. Honestly, I never should’ve asked, but I was out of options. “Please Lydia? You know I wouldn’t ask if I knew any other way.” Her stance only became more firm, and it didn’t look like she would budge. “Look, my mom will be here tonight. She’s only staying the weekend.” After pausing for some kind of response, I received nothing but a glare. “All I’m asking is that you make her _think_ that we’re actually together.”  

“Fine, one day. That’s all you get,” Lydia forced out. “We put a show on for your mother for one day, and then we break up.”

“What? Break up, why?” Even if it _was_ fake, a break up sounds a bit rash. “My mom will never go for that. Lyds, she’ll know that we were just faking it all along.”

“Well then,” she laughed. “I guess we better make it good.” Surprisingly, that made me nervous about mom’s arrival.

Later that night the doorbell rang, causing my heart to jump out of my chest. Lydia appeared in my doorway and asked “Are you ready?”

I don’t think there’s actually a way to prepare myself for what we were about to do. Lying is not my best strong suit, so faking a relationship for my mother was not about to go over very well. I mean what if she asks us a bunch of questions I can’t answer, or what if our responses are completely different? Clearly, I didn’t think this through and we didn’t plan anything at all. “Let’s do this.”

We descended the staircase together as the doorbell rang for the second time. “Wait,” Lydia stopped me. She ran her fingers through my hair, messing it up a bit. “Perfect.” Her smile matched the one my nerves had been preventing.

 _One, two, three, breathe. Let mom in._ “Well it’s about time, Jordan.”  She took a look at the strawberry blonde to my side. Actually, she was glaring at Lydia. She walked around Lydia, observing her up and down. “Who’s this?” Mother was then staring me in the eye. The only person who can intimidate me more than Lydia does is my mom. The only difference is that the intimidation I get from Lydia is—well, good. I don’t quite know how to explain it, but it’s definitely a positive thing.

“Uh… Um… This is…” I told you, I’m horrible at lying to mom. She always knows when I’m lying or just slightly untruthful. That’s why this was such a horrible idea.

“Lydia,” my roommate smiled and held her hand out to shake mom’s. “I’m Lydia, Jordan’s girlfriend.” I nodded in agreement. “You must be Diana.”

“That’s Mrs. Parrish to you.” My mom looked at Lydia’s hand and moved away. She was…aggressive. If I know Lydia at all, this is going to be a long night. This won’t go over very well for any of us. “Well, aren’t you going to show me to my room? Don’t keep me standing here.” Mom grumpily headed towards the stairs.

“I’m so sorry,” I whispered to Lydia. She wouldn’t even acknowledge that I was speaking. This was going to be bad. I just knew it. I followed Mother upstairs and guided her towards the guest room furthest away from Lydia’s and my bedrooms. I showed her where her toiletries would be located, and then headed out of the room.

The next thing I knew, there was pressure on my ear. Lydia was gripping my ear. “I need to talk to you,” she grumbled. “Now.” We walked to my bedroom and I locked the door behind us. “What was that, downstairs?” Lydia folded her arms.

“I um,” I was trying to find the words to say. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t. Lydia and I have never been in this position before. “Are you mad at me? I said I was sorry.”

“Mad? I’m furious. You didn’t tell me your mother was such a—“

“Hey!”

“What? I was just going to say grouch.”

“Look, Lydia. I’m so sorry. I know she’s intense.” Lydia raised her eyebrow at me for my word choice. “I swear everything will be fine. She just needs to get to know you. Honestly, it didn’t even cross my mind that she might be this displeasing toward you. Just don’t be mad. Please?”

“Jordan,” Lydia sighed. “No promises. I can’t guarantee that I won’t hate you until your mom leaves.”

“Do you trust me?” It was a serious question. There was no way I could imagine Lydia trusting me enough to do this with me _after_ meeting mom. Who would?

“Of course I do. You know I love you. I mean you’re my best friend. It’s your mother I don’t trust.”

“All we have to do is put on a show for her until she goes to bed,” I reminded her. “Then… we… break up.” I still hated that part of the plan. “You can go out with Evan tomorrow and my mom will have to leave me alone because my heart will need time to heal after the break-up. Now,” I grabbed Lydia’s hand. “Let’s go fool my mom.”


	2. Surprise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's in Lydia's POV

We were watching Lifetime when Diana came into the room. There was a movie on about a girl trying to prove her innocence after being accused of murdering her best friend. Diana just couldn't let us watch the movie in silence. Apparently she thought we actually wanted the commentary.

"Why would she be the killer? She's just a girl!"

"Hey, lady cop! Open your eyes!"

"If I was on that show the case would be solved."

"Ohh come oooooooooooon!"

“Don’t be so stupid!”

“Stupid, stupid, stupid…”

“What a waste.”

“You’re gonna get caught.”

"Give me the remote, Jordan." Diana ordered just as I decided to lift my head off of Jordan's shoulder. "Give me the remote. I want to turn now." She held her hand out and waited for Jordan to comply. "Jordan, now." Jordan didn't hand her the remote, and she looked absolutely shocked. Maybe she's not used to not getting her way.

"Mom, no." Jordan  _rebelled_. "Lydia wants to watch this, so that's what we're doing." Diana raised an eyebrow at her son. "You can have your turn later. Okay?" I actually smiled. Never would I have imagined that Jordan would actually contradict his mom. That's why I agreed to pretend to be his girlfriend. There wasn't a doubt in my mind that Jordan was afraid of standing up to his mom. This side of Jordan? The side of Jordan that surprises me? It's... refreshing. I like it. Jordan rubbed the back of my hand with his thumb. Was that reassurance that he would have my back as long as I had his? Was he just trying to annoy his mother with this game we were playing? I couldn’t tell. All I knew was that he hadn’t stopped or even let go of my hand once.

Diana leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms. She didn't look back at the movie though. Diana's glare was directed straight at me. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't figure out what her problem was with me. I had never met her before she visited Jordan for the first time that day. I had no idea what I did so wrong to make her hate me so much. Did she hate  _all_  of Jordan's girlfriends? How was I ever going to pull this off if she didn't even have an open mind? The answer? No way possible. Maybe she didn't actually hate the idea of me being with Jordan. Maybe it was something else. Without breaking eye contact with Diana, I rested my head back on Jordan's shoulder. She rolled her eyes and turned her attention to the movie. Perhaps it really was me she didn't like. That **_never_** happens. Everybody loves me.

“Uh, you know what?” I whispered to Jordan. “I think I’m just gonna head back upstairs.” Slowly I raised my head and left the couch. When I reached the staircase, Jordan had apparently caught up to me.

“What are you doing, Lydia?” Jordan whispered so that Diana couldn’t eavesdrop on the encounter. “This totally goes against the plan, you know.” I nodded, aware of where this conversation was headed. He was going to try to convince me to come back and finish the movie with them. He was going to beg me not to leave him alone with the woman on our couch. He couldn’t stand to be alone with her during this visit, and I was aware of that as well.

“Come on,” he grabbed my hand and guided me up the stairs and to my bedroom. After I walked inside he closed and locked the door. “What’s wrong?” Jordan’s eyes searched mine. He was so sure that I wasn’t at 100% but I was completely fine. I mean, why wouldn’t I be? I just thought that Jordan needed to spend some quality time with his mom. She was a nightmare, sure, but she loved him. I think. That’s probably why she seems to hate me so much, right? I don’t know, maybe I’m just reaching a little.

“Nothing,” I shook my head. “I’m good. Go spend some time with your mother.” Certain that would work, I smiled. Jordan laughed.

“You do realize we live together, right? I’ve gotten to know you a lot better than you think, and you are most definitely not okay.” But I was, though. At least that’s what I wanted him to believe. I just didn’t want to be around Diana at that moment. Sometimes you just need to take a break from the only person in the world who hates you. That’s what I needed. Space. “You don’t walk away from a challenge, you don’t use a word as simple as _good_ to describe yourself, and for goodness sake Lydia… You **_never_** walk out on the chance to watch a good lifetime movie.” Okay so maybe that was all true, but that didn’t mean something was wrong with me.

“Jordan, that’s not what I define as hard proof that something’s wrong.” Jordan raised an eyebrow, as if I’d just given myself away. “Look, I feel great right now. Just go to your mother and I’ll join in a little later.” Jordan was searching my eyes for something—anything to contradict what I’d just said to him. He sighed with a slight shake of his head.

“Promise?”

“Yeah, promise.”

Jordan let go of my hand and unlocked the bedroom door. “Oh,” he turned around. “I’m about to order in. Usual?” I nodded. I could never turn down a hot pizza for lunch. We usually did this once or twice a week. Jordan always chose something different each time, but I always order the same pizza—ham, pineapple, and extra cheese. Jordan would sometimes go out and get dessert, too. I hope this all goes well today. I _need_ this to go well. I walked a few feet over to my bed and leaned back. This was going to be a long afternoon.

____________

The doorbell rang a few times. I expected Jordan to have answered the door, but he didn’t so I had to get off my bed and grab my wallet. I skipped down the steps, so the delivery guy couldn’t leave before I got to the door. He smiled, relieved when I forced the door open.

“Hi,” I greeted him with a warm smile to match his.

“Well hello, beautiful,” he responded.

Is it so wrong that I was attracted to him? Was it wrong of me to want to flirt? Although Jordan and I were only faking a relationship, it felt wrong to have this urge. Nothing. I didn’t flirt in the slightest although it’s all I wanted. “How much?” I opened my wallet to pay the guy and send him off.

“$32.54 and a date with me,” he says with a wink

Was it wrong to laugh? That’s what I did. Come on, I couldn’t help it! He was so cute.

“Sorry, that was highly inappropriate. A girl like you definitely has a boyfriend not too far behind.” He bit his lip.

“No I—I mean not really. Sort of.” I heard Diana moving around in the next room. I thought she was gone! I mean if Jordan was gone, maybe she was with him. You know? I didn’t expect her to still be  _here_  though! Crap, okay. “I mean… Yes, I have a boyfriend.”

“Sounds like you need a new one.” Another wink and a chuckle. Excuse me, Lydia Martin needs no man. Welp, he was fun while he lasted.

“Here,” I gave him the money we owed and left him a small tip for effort. He handed me the pizza boxes, but just couldn’t leave without one more statement.

“How about I pick you up at 8? I’ll show you what you’re missing with that boyfriend of yours.”

I rolled my eyes. Somehow he became incredibly annoying in such a short time. “How about no.” Jordan was finally back home. He got out of his shiny red Camaro convertible and locked it. Diana heard Jordan’s car beep in response and I heard as she made her way to my direction. Jordan rushed up to the porch, soon realizing he was too late to pay for the food. “Oh hey, babe. You’re finally back.” I smiled and kissed my roommate for the first time. He was obviously shocked. Jordan didn’t kiss back at first, and I could tell he didn’t know where to put his free hand.

I had to do something! The pizza guy wasn’t going to give up any time soon, and Diana was right there. I mean, we had to show her that I’m actually Jordan’s girlfriend, which we both sucked at. This was the perfect opportunity to deal with both problems. The problem is I don’t know if Diana bought it, but my admirer did. It sounded like he finally walked away, so I slowly brought the kiss to an end. Truth be told, I liked kissing him. It was weird, you know? This was my best friend, but I was kissing him and didn’t want to stop just yet. I pulled away from Jordan confused about why I ever thought that kissing my best friend like that was such a good idea.

When I opened my eyes I could see the shock on Jordan’s face. Diana was gone. “Sorry,” I whispered. “I really didn’t mean to make it weird, so please don’t be awkward about this.”

“We um…” Jordan cleared his throat. “We’ll talk about this later,” he whispered back. There’s a conversation I’m not looking forward to. I moved back and allowed Jordan to come into the house. I screwed up so bad.


	3. The Talk

“Oh dear,” Diana muttered. “I forgot to take my medicine. Jordan run upstairs and get it for me.” I looked over at him, and he seemed… confused. Either she didn’t actually have any medicine to take, or he didn’t actually want to go all the way upstairs and search for it. Or maybe it’s still because of me. We had been sitting inches apart since I kissed him. We knew it wasn’t good for the plan, but it was incredibly awkward. How could we be so united with this between us? It was impossible to just get over how weird it was for us now. I mean we were confused about it, probably because it was random for Jordan. He never saw it coming. I shouldn’t have kissed him.

Jordan walked away from me without a word or a glance… or anything. He just walked away. “Give it up, girl.” Diana was looking down at her word search. “You’re not good enough for my son.” She giggled and shook her head at me.

“Diana…” I raised an eyebrow. “Why am I not surprised? You haven’t exactly welcomed the thought of me at all.”

“That’s because I know my son. He could never love somebody like you.” Who ever said anything about love?

“Somebody like me?” I stood up, crossed my arms, and walked over to the fireplace with my back facing Diana. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“The moment I set my eyes on you I knew you couldn’t be trusted. Then I heard you out there with that boy! You know what? I can pretty much guarantee you that you won’t last more than another week with Jordan. He’s going to end it.”

“No,” I turned around. “He won’t. And nothing ever even happened with the pizza guy. Maybe you shouldn’t have been listening in on me.” I planted my right foot into the ground. Diana didn’t even know me. She didn’t have the right to make such a rash assumption about me, not like that one.

Diana stood up from her seat as well. “You just wait and see,” she laughed. “But don’t worry, it’ll happen before you know it.”

“What’s going on?” Jordan. I hadn’t even heard him come back downstairs.

“Hello son,” Diana smiled. “I just realized I had my pills all along. Thank you anyway.” _Unbelievable._ I walked away, and headed outside to my car. What was I thinking when I agreed to doing this with Jordan? All it’s doing is causing problems. His mother has been driving me crazy with all her criticism, and then Jordan and I barely said a word to each other because I decided it’d be okay to kiss him. If I hadn’t agreed to this, how different would things be? Would Diana actually like me, or would she still hate me? Would Jordan and I still be perfect right now? Would I have left the house much earlier than this? She had been with us for five hours, and I already wanted her gone.

“Lyds wait!” I heard the door slam as I started my ignition. Jordan ran after me, and frankly I was absolutely shocked. I mean I really don’t see why he needs me. He can stand up to his mother on his own, as I had already seen happen. There’s nothing for me to do here. “Lydia,” he stopped at my open window. “What are you doing?” He tilted his head. “Are you giving up already? It hasn’t even been a day yet. I mean… We did agree on a day, right?”

“I’m sorry. It’s just… I can’t deal with your mother right now. And you obviously don’t need me, so yes. I’m leaving. I’ll be back later.”

“Okay fine,” Jordan sighed. “I’m coming with you.”

“What? No. What about your mom?”

Jordan made his way to the passenger seat. “Well, my mom thinks we’re dating. Let her think _this_ is a date,” he smiled. “Come on.” Jordan fastened his seatbelt and I drove off. Well, we’re speaking now. What could possibly go wrong?

 

 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

“Hey, slow down!” I heard Jordan yell. “Lydia wait!” Turning around, I could see Jordan slowly skating towards me. We were still out, roller skating and I couldn’t help but laugh at how long it was taking him to catch up to me. Instead of waiting, I skated to where he was struggling.

“What are you doing?” I laughed. “Jordan, I thought you could skate.” I rotated so we’d be going in the same direction, and then grabbed onto Jordan’s arm.

“Apparently not,” Jordan’s body was twitching as he tried to keep his balance. “Whoa,” his body forced backward but then balanced again. “No no no—whoa—“ I tried to balance him, but it was too late. We both fell back onto the ground and laughed.

In that moment I realized I’d been overreacting earlier when I assumed that my friendship with Jordan had been compromised. I mean, why would it have been? We kissed and it was completely random, but Jordan and I were much stronger than that. _Jordan_ was better than that.


	4. Dangit Diana.

“Jordy is that you?” Mom called out as soon as Lydia and I got back home. It was 8 pm, and she was obviously awaiting my return. That’s never a good sign with her. “Darling,” she met me in the hallway and completely ignored Lydia beside me. “I talked to Leanne today. You remember her, right? She was your nanny!” Unaware of where this conversation was going, I braced myself for the very reason why I needed Lydia to be my fake girlfriend. “Her daughter, Sydney is single! I’ve got her number for you.” Mother giggled, apparently expecting me to jump at the thought of yet another setup.

“Mom,” I sighed. “No.” She frowned and opened her mouth to speak, but before she could get a word out I continued. “I’m with Lydia now. I don’t care about Cynthia.”

“Sydney. Her name’s Sydney”

“Sydney, Cynthia… Doesn’t make a difference to me.” Mom had offered so many girls to me that all the names were starting to sound the same.

“Come on, Jordan. Just give her a call. You’ll like her!” Mother smiled again, believing that I could change my mind so quickly. “I promise.”

“I won’t.”

“Yes, you will. I just know it.”

I shook my head. “Mom, this has to stop.”

“And what’s that, dear?” Mom crossed her arms and furrowed her eyebrows. “What has to stop?”

“You and the setups. The surprise blind dates,” I paused and glanced at Lydia, who looked… rather pleased. You see, when I lived over in Palm Beach my family tried everything to get me on dates with women they thought would be suitable for me. There were the frequent setups with children of mom’s friends; that was most common. A distant cousin created an online dating profile with a dating service exclusively made for wealthy people without my knowledge. Sure I got plenty of hits, but I don’t need to go online just to get a date. I turn women down each day. Besides, I’d much rather meet a person in real life before I decide whether or not I want to date her. You never know what you might get with the internet. Come on, I’m a cop. I know this can be dangerous if you don’t take precautions. You know what else my mother did? Not only did she send me on blind dates, but sometimes she would deliver me to them. It was her way of making sure that I went and couldn’t back out, not that I’d stand a lady up. It’s just… My mother doesn’t understand limits or boundaries. She thinks this type of thing is okay, apparently. I couldn’t tolerate it anymore, so I left home and moved to California. That didn’t change a thing, however. State lines are just minor casualties to her, it seems. Five years later (and across the country) and she still tries to disturb my process. My life. My semi-nonexistent love life. I’m fine with being alone for now, and that’s the way I like it. “You have to let me be happy _without_ all the interferences.”

“Mhmm,” Mom nodded and started to walk away. “I hear you, son.”

“So you’ll stop?” I called after her. My mother stopped in her tracks and turned back around.

“God, no,” she laughed. “I won’t let you be with… _that_. You think you’ll get anywhere with her? You won’t. She’s not good enough for you. You know it just as well as I do.”

“Hey Lyds,” I faced her. “Why don’t you go… do something… Find a movie for us?” She must’ve been confused about why I’d try to send her away. I mean, was it a weird time to do so? Well, either way Lydia didn’t question it. She just headed upstairs and left us alone.

“Mom,” I led her into the next room. “Lydia’s in my life. You have to learn to accept that at some point.”

“No,” she pointed a finger at me. “You are a Parrish. You haven’t even touched your inheritance, but you decided you wanted to be… a cop? You’re a billionaire and you _work_? Retirebefore it’s too late and you get yourself killed on duty” Mom looked down on my career choice. Just looking at her face, she was disgusted even. “This girl doesn’t respect you. She’s just using you. Did you know that? Your father would be disappointed if he could only see you now—working in law enforcement and following this girl around like a lost puppy. What does this girl have over you? Why won’t you just leave her?”

“You’re wrong,” I laughed dryly and crossed my arms. “If anything, she’s too good for me. You know, anybody else would’ve run off by now after having you overanalyze and criticize her every move. She’s still right here. And Dad? Dad would be happy for me. He’d be happy that I’m making my own life and money. He’d be happy that I’m not some spoiled brat, Mom. I’m not entitled to anything, and he had always supported that. Most importantly, Dad wouldn’t drive Lydia away just because he didn’t like her—he would love Lydia, by the way. Dad would congratulate me on finding such a great girl. Why can’t you?”

My mom has never understood why I’d do anything for myself when I have the money that my dad left me to fall back on in his will. Perhaps that’s because he left me 70% of his money and properties, and she only got 20% of the money and the mansion. The other 10? He left it to his personal chef, who now has her own restaurant. That’s the kind of man my dad was. He owned homes and a couple of businesses across the country. He didn’t believe in poverty, so he gave back to the community every chance he got. Like I said, Dad was proud that I chose to go my own way instead of just relying on his resources.

Mom was silent for the first time since she got here. “She’s no good, Jordan. You’ll see.”

“Let it go, Mom.”

I headed upstairs to Lydia’s room, but she wasn’t there. “Lydia?”

“In here,” her voice trailed from my bedroom. I turned to my immediate right and opened the door. Lydia was spread across my bed, flipping through channels on my big screen.

“What are you doing in here?” I sat beside her.

“Well,” she smiled. “You said to find something to watch, and I like your tv better than mine.” She stopped talking and looked at me. “How’d it go with Diana?”

“She’s… The same.” I chuckled.

Nothing could’ve convinced me for a second that she would suddenly stop interfering just because I pleaded with her. That’s not who she is, and I knew that. But… It doesn’t hurt to try, right? Who knows? Maybe she’ll surprise us. Lydia directed her attention back to the tv, and I couldn’t help it. I glanced over at her. She was perfect. What I said to my mom, it was true. I’d always kind of had feelings for Lydia, but this? This was crazy. My whole plot to keep my mother away was insane and now I can’t get out of this charade without messing everything up. Lydia really is too good for me. There was no way she’d ever go for me though. I know it just isn’t possible, so I won’t even hope for it. That would only crush me in the end. This is the closest I’ll ever get to dating Lydia. Honestly? I never actually believed that she would agree to my stupid plan. Now I have to deal with the fact that everything we’re doing is just pretend and that she doesn’t actually like me at all. I’m just a friend to her no matter how badly I wish that Lydia could be my girlfriend. No catch and no pretending, just sincerity. How am I going to do this?

“Didn’t I tell you she hated me?” Lydia sighed. “I don’t know how much longer I can do this, but…” What? What was it? My heart dropped at her sudden urge to stop speaking mid-sentence. “I’m not going to abandon you now. Your mother’s a real piece of work and as your friend I guess I can suffer with you.” Lydia smiled up at the television. “And do you really think she’d like it if I broke up with you? She wants nothing more than for you to be the one to end it with me.”

“Wait,” I blinked. “What about Evan?”

“What about him?” She laughed. “I had a little time to think and, well, Evan can wait if he really likes me as much as he claims.”

“Lydia, no. I can’t let you do that.”

“Huh, too bad. I wasn’t asking. What’s with you anyway? You’ve never liked him. ”

I mean I may not like the guy, but I do like Lydia. So much. I was willing to sit back and let her date this guy without my family drama getting in the way. She deserved to be happy.

She shook her head and laughed. “You’re trying to get rid of me, aren’t you?”

“Get rid of you?” I stood up and walked over to my stash of quick snacks. After grabbing my package of cupcakes I got back on the bed and propped myself on my stomach and elbows, same as Lydia had been. “Never.” We spent the next hour watching a rerun of Flashpoint. It was just like we did every other night. The only difference that night was that we were hiding from my mother again.

Before I knew it, I had fallen asleep. Dealing with my mother can be exhausting, but I also hadn’t had much sleep the night before. My shift at the precinct was crazy. I was relieved to finally have a few days off. Now? I’m not so sure.


	5. About That Kiss...

After Jordan fell asleep, I didn’t think there was any reason to stay in his room. That’s why I snuck out, showered, and then went to the kitchen. Sugar was calling my name, and I had to respond. I got a thick piece of red velvet cake with vanilla icing and a nice bowl of oreo ice cream. One Tree Hill was playing on my tablet. I’d contemplated, for what felt like forever, how to go about this whole situation with Diana. What would Brooke do? You know? Teenage Brooke… Maybe she wouldn’t tolerate Diana for a second longer than she had to. But what about present day Brooke? Well, I’d like to think she’d do whatever she had to do for the people she loves. But what is that? What could it be? Some inspiration would be great right about now.

Eventually I had grown tired and just wanted to sleep. The clock read 11 PM, so I got up to wash my dishes. Just as I was about to open my bedroom door, I heard Diana’s voice behind me. “What are you doing?” She walked by my side. “I knew this wasn’t a genuine relationship. There was no way Jordan would’ve dated you in reality. And if you two were really dating you’d be sleeping in the same room, you know.”  What was I supposed to respond? She’d called our bluff, and it was up to me to save the plan. So I went with the first thing that popped into my head.

“Jordan and I each have way too much stuff. This is my closet.”

“Mhm, so why do you have a bed in there?”

“What? Were you snooping?”

“I’m not letting Jordan be with somebody I don’t like if I don’t know every detail about them. Yes, I did go through your stuff while you were downstairs. And I still don’t trust you. So what, if you graduated at the top of your class? And excel at everything you do… You’re still not good enough for my son.”

All I could do was shake my head and head into my room. Diana didn’t leave. “Do you mind?” I gestured for her to step away from my door. “I need to get changed. You don’t need to be here while I do.” Still, she didn’t move a muscle, so I closed the door in her face. Listening for the closing of her door was pointless, because it never came. Was Diana still in my doorway? I pretended to take another quick shower. I turned the shower water on, sat on the bed for a few minutes while responding to tweets, turned the water off, brushed my teeth, changed clothes, and then opened my door to make sure Diana was gone so I could go to sleep without the paranoia of feeling like she was just going to sneak in on me while I slept. She’d been propped up against a wall across the hall, playing with her short fingernails. Diana looked up and waved me off. I flipped the light switch, shut my bedroom door, and opened Jordan’s slowly. Whatever he might’ve been up to, I wanted to be prepared for what I was walking in on. Hey, you never know. One deep breath later and I was on the other side of Jordan’s door.

A shirtless Jordan looked up at me from his phone. “What are y—“

“Shh,” I whispered aware that Diana might’ve been right there. “Your mom’s onto us.” I laid down next to Jordan and sighed. I’d been staring up at the ceiling. What I really wanted was my own bed, one I didn’t have to share with anybody. “We have to stop being so distant around her.”

“Huh?” He looked at me, prompting me to look back at him. “We’re not distant, Lydia.”

“Right,” I laughed. “Do you remember how this morning we started out pretty much glued together?” Jordan nodded. “And then I kissed you… And after that you couldn’t even pretend everything was normal.”

“No, no, that’s not really true though.”

“Jordan, you sat on the opposite end of the couch. You didn’t say a word to me for like two hours, and when you did it was just a short little response to whatever I’d say to you.”

“I guess I did kinda screw up, huh?” Jordan’s voice was low, eyes still set on mine.

“No,” I sat up and faced Jordan, sitting on one leg. “You didn’t, but I did. Sorry I kissed you.”

“Kissing me wasn’t all that bad.” The smile on Jordan’s face seemed…forced. “Was it?”

“No, not when you decided to let it happen.” That was just the thing, though. He shouldn’t have had to just let it happen. My assumption that kissing was naturally part of this arrangement was wrong. It couldn’t happen again unless Jordan initiated it. “It’s like I forced myself on you and I—“

“You took me by surprise. That’s it. But you know,” his smile was genuine this time. Like he was happy. “I didn’t actually hate it.”

I tilted my head slightly. “You didn’t?” It did feel like Jordan was distant because he didn’t want the kiss to happen. I mean wasn’t that the case at some point?

“So a pretty girl wanted to kiss me. What’s so bad about that?” Jordan looked away, chuckling. “Besides, it helps that that girl just happened to be my best friend.”

Hearing those words, _best friend_ , were surprisingly not the ones I wanted to hear. It was like my stomach…dropped. Do you ever get that feeling? I don’t know what it was that I didn’t like about it. Something changed. For me. Or for us. I couldn’t tell you what it was, to be honest. But there was something different between us.

“Well, maybe if it ever happens again we should try not to be so weird about it.” _It_ obviously wouldn’t be happening again, but still. This needed to be pointed out. Diana knew we had just been pretending to date. We seriously needed to step up our game.

“Well maybe we should—“ Jordan shook his head. I gave him a questioning look as if to ask what he was about to say. “Nothing,” he responded. “It was stupid, don’t worry about it.” I raised an eyebrow and Jordan sighed, knowing I wouldn’t let it go. With all the hesitation, I was pretty sure I knew what he was thinking. “I was just going to say maybe we,” Jordan paused again. “Should…” Jordan was suddenly so nervous. I’d never seen him nervous, and now that I had I couldn’t let him suffer.

“Should practice not being so awkward about kissing?”

“Pretty much, yeah.” Jordan nodded, fiddling with his fingers. “I told you, it’s stupid.” He forced a laugh out.

“Okay,” it wasn’t stupid to me. “Kiss me.”

“What?” Jordan was clearly confused. He didn’t move an inch, just waited for me to change my request.

“It was your idea.” Not a bad one, I must admit. He had to get used to kissing me, and I… Well, I liked kissing Jordan the first time around. Why not? “So just kiss me,” I grinned. Jordan stayed still, he looked like he might’ve been considering whether or not he actually should. “Alright, your choice.” I laid back down beside him, my eyes up to the ceiling just as they were before.

At least ten minutes had passed by before I heard him call me. “Lyds?” I should’ve been asleep. I was so tired, but at the same time… For the first time I _had_ to sleep next to Jordan, so I felt awake. It was weird having to try to sleep next to him because the only times we ever slept in the same room we were watching TV.

“Hm?” Jordan was quiet again. What was with him? Looking over at him, he was looking down. Not at me or his hands, but the space between us maybe? “Jordan?” I turned onto my side, propping myself up on my elbow.

“Why’d you agree to do this with me?” He finally spoke. “Why would you pretend to be my girlfriend?”

“Oh that…” I thought about it. “I don’t know. You’re this sweet, independent guy who never asks anybody for anything. All you do is help others, me more than anybody else. So when you reached out to me of all people? Yeah, I was shocked but I liked being needed—that _you_ needed me.” I looked down at my hands, they were cold.

That was when Jordan kissed me. At first I was shocked because I didn’t think he was actually going to. It’s just that he took a while to decide he wanted to. And it wasn’t just a little peck, either. It was a long kiss, which started off slow but the next thing I knew his tongue found its way into my mouth. I don’t know what happened or how the kiss escalated so fast but… Each second the kiss grew more intense. More… fun. My arm was starting to hurt from putting so much pressure on it for so long. I climbed on top of Jordan, putting one leg on each side of him. My left hand rested on his chest, while my right ran through his hair. Jordan’s hands, which were just holding my hips, were starting to travel up my back softly and I laughed.

“What?” Jordan sounded out of breath, and I don’t blame him.

“You know I’m ticklish.”

“Did that really tickle?” he held back a laugh of his own. I nodded. “Hmm, well how about this?” He removed his hands from my hips and used them to tickle me all over. I couldn’t stop laughing and wobbling trying to get away from him. But I failed.

“S-s-stooooop! Too m-much!” Jordan had me right where he wanted me. Once he got to my stomach I lost control, screamed, and fell over the edge of the bed. Jordan tried to catch me, but I pulled him down with me. **_Thump!_** We landed with my back to the ground and Jordan face down directly on top of me. His eyes locked on mine and he smiled. “Ouch,” I laughed through the pain. He was heavier than he looked, probably because of the fall. Note to self; never do _that_ at the edge of a bed again.

Jordan got off of me and offered his hand to help me up, but I didn’t take it. I just remained still. It wasn’t that I _couldn’t_ get up, but I wouldn’t. It required too much energy and I was way too tired to stand on my own. He laughed, lifting me from the carpet and then placing me down at the center of his bed. Jordan got in beside me, leaning on the headboard.

I took one last glance at Jordan. He was concentrated on his phone doing what looked like a jigsaw puzzle. Jordan looked… happy. There’s no way solving a puzzle could put that smile on his face. Did he realize I was looking at him? I don’t know. This may be a reach but… I was just thinking. What if Jordan likes me more than he lets on? What if I’m not just a best friend to him, but so much more? And now I wonder… What if there’s more to my feelings than I know? He’s my best friend, but what if we’re supposed to be more than just friends? What if Diana being here draws me even closer to Jordan? What if I can’t control my feelings or steer away from the thought of us ever being more than friends? What have I done?

“You’re staring,” I heard him laugh, breaking me out of my train of thought.

“Sorry. I uh, I’m just thinking.”

“About?” He looked away from his phone.

“Hmmm… Well, I’m pretty sure next time I’ll be the one defeating you.” I watched as he shook his head. That smile never left his face. “I’ll find your weakness, Jordan Parrish. You just wait.”

“I guess I’ll just have to look forward to that, huh?” Jordan reached for his charger and plugged his phone up. “Get some sleep while you think it over. We’re going out in the morning.”

“Morning? You’re crazy if you think I’m waking up that early.” It was at least 2 AM. I’d be asleep at least until 11.

“Goodnight, Lydia.” Jordan was seriously going to wake me up. I just knew he was. He turned the light off and laid back down.

“Night Jordan,” I scooted closer over to Jordan and used his chest as a pillow. Sure, he had extra pillows on his bed… But I liked his chest better. Jordan wrapped his arm around me and I smiled. It’d been a while since I actually slept next to a guy, but the last time I did it was only because we’d just had sex. Sometimes they didn’t even stay the night. It was nice simply sleeping next to a guy who didn’t want anything from me. I fell asleep to the rhythm of Jordan’s heart beating—slowing down as he lost consciousness.


	6. mama doesn't always know best

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Filler until I figure out the next chapter. Enjoy! :)

He woke up to the sun shining straight through his window. It was earlier than he expected. Much earlier than he was used to waking up. He squinted an eye trying to keep at least some of the light out. The clock on Jordan’s bedside table read 7:30 AM. Lydia’s thumb had been stroking his arm slowly for the last few minutes, but she was still sleeping. Jordan glanced down at the girl with her head still in the same spot on his chest. Thinking of the events of the night before, he smiled. It was crazy. He couldn’t even believe it actually happened. It felt unreal. Seriously, what were the odds that Lydia and Jordan kissed? Without being observed by Diana? _Impossible_. Jordan closed his eyes and went back to sleep. He didn’t want to wake Lydia just yet. She’d just be tired—and probably cranky.

Three short hours later, Jordan woke up again. Diana was knocking on the door, but Lydia didn’t wake up. Jordan sighed. Was he really ready to deal with his mother right then? “Jordan,” Diana barged into the bedroom and Lydia’s eyes shot open. Nothing wakes you quite like the voice of a person you’ve grown to despise. “Jordan, it’s after 10 o’clock. You need to wake up now.”

“Make it stop,” Lydia mumbled. “Please.” Jordan sat up and got out of bed. “Noooo, my pillow…”

“I’ll be back,” he chuckled. Jordan’s voice was low, you could tell he’d just woken up. Jordan walked straight passed his mother and she followed him out of the room. He didn’t actually acknowledge her, just went downstairs. Once in the kitchen he opened and closed small cabinets over his head until he found what he was looking for. Diana watched him pull out ground coffee with her arms crossed. “What are you doing, Mom?” He was clearly annoyed with her walking into his room without permission. Jordan dumped a portion of the coffee into the filter, added water to the top of the coffee maker, and started the machine. Slowly his coffee brewed, giving Diana enough time to say whatever it was she wanted so badly she had to wake him.

“Jordan,” Diana sighed. “Can’t we just go do something?” That wasn’t a bad request. The three of them going outside together? It would give Diana and Lydia a little time to bond. And Jordan a headache, most likely. “You know, without the brat.” Ah, right. That was the catch.

“Mom no,” he rubbed his eye. “We talked about this. Lydia’s in my life now, and you have to deal with it. Preferably now. She’s going to be around for a while, you know. Just… Just give her a chance. I swear you’ll love her.”

“Mind your tongue!” Diana looked, well, offended. “I’ll do no such thing. You should know better than to say I’ll like that… that—“

“Kind-hearted angel?” Diana couldn’t believe the words that had just come out of her son’s mouth. She shook them out of her head. There was no way possible Diana would accept that idea.

“What were you two doing last night?”

“What are you—“

“It was kind of hard to sleep with all the noise. What on earth was so funny?” Diana’s hands were now on gripping her waist to match the pout on her face.

“Mom, it’s none of your business what we were doing. I’m sorry, I am, but what are you doing listening to us?”

“So help me, if you get that little bit—“

“MOM!” Did Jordan just yell? And at his mother? It was weird, Jordan never lost his temper.

Lydia heard the commotion, and naturally she walked in the direction it came from. She couldn’t sleep anyway. She’d been up wondering how last night ever happened and why she let it happen. Why would she encourage it to be more than just one short kiss? Or why not just enough for them to get accustomed to kissing each other? Lydia never expected a full on make out session. If it had gone on any longer, would Lydia have slept with Jordan? Was she in control of her actions the whole time, or was she just trapped in the moment? Lydia didn’t have any answers for herself, and that’s what scared her. There was a possibility of not being able to control her feelings, and she liked to be in control when all else failed. She _needed_ to be in control of her own feelings. At least that’s what Lydia thought.

“Look, all I’m saying is you better not get her pregnant.” Diana shook her head. “Oh no, I forbid you. Her child will _not_ taint our bloodline, Jordan.”

“Mom, please. Just this once can you please just support me? I really _really_ like this one, mom. I wish somehow I could make you realize that. Lydia makes me happy. Although I wish I had your approval, just remember I’m grown now and I don’t need it. Keep your criticism to yourself if you’re staying in _our_ house.” Jordan walked away just like that. He took a left turn and then a right, another left, and when he turned at his last right he bumped into Lydia at the stairs. She heard his whole speech and couldn’t tell if he genuinely meant what he said, or if he was just pretending. Between last night’s kiss and him always defending her to his mother, it did seem like there was more to it.

“Lydia? I thought you were…” his voice trailed off.

“I uh…” she shook her head. “I couldn’t sleep. No pillow, remember?”

“Lydia,” Jordan guided his fake girlfriend up the stairs. “My bed is full of pillows.”

“Yeah well,” she shrugged. “None of them are you.”

The duo reached their bedroom doors, which were adjacent, and Lydia was hesitant to go inside. “Well, I guess this is it,” Jordan didn’t want to go either. Lydia nodded, sure to peak at his still bare chest.

“I…” Lydia didn’t know what to say, but she felt like she needed to say something. You don’t just spend the night with somebody and not say anything to them in the morning, right?

“Lydia,” Jordan paused. “Is this…” He lowered his voice so Diana couldn’t eavesdrop. “Is this weird now? After last night?”

“What? Weird?” Jordan nodded in response. “Not at all, no.” It was true, Lydia didn’t feel awkward about their night together. She was just confused about where she stood with her feelings. Did she like him or not? Maybe. Wait, no. Nah, no way. She couldn’t like Jordan. He was her best friend. That’s all they would ever be.

“So…” Jordan looked around. “Uh, there’s coffee downstairs. It should be done by now. You know… If you want some.” Jordan slowly faced the door, twisted the door knob, and pushed it open.

Lydia laughed. Is that what it’s come to? Both of them struggling with what they could possibly say to each other? “Hey Jordan?” He turned around. “We still on for—whatever you wanted to do this morning?”

“Of course,” he smiled. “I’m ready when you are.”

Lydia and Jordan each went into their rooms and got ready for the day. Man, what a day they didn’t realize they were about to have.


	7. stuck on you

Lydia and I had just finished eating lunch at Applebees. I paid the tab and met her at the car. She’d already started it. I put the car in reverse, backed out of the parking spot, and then drove off. “So what now? We going back home?” Lydia lifted her sunglasses from her eyes to the top of her head.

“Well no. I figured you deserved some time away from my mom so…” I stopped at the red light. “Pick a place. Anywhere you want.” Lydia was quiet, looking out the window. Actually, she had been unusually quiet since we woke up this morning. It wasn’t normal for her to be the quiet one. I still thought it was because of…last night. You see, Lydia has never thought of me as more than a friend and I can live with that. But last night? She kissed me again, and something tells me she liked it just as much as I did. How can you kiss somebody like _that_? With so much intensity? And not enjoy every second of it? I think that’s why she was barely speaking to me. You know, or maybe she was still tired. I mean, we did go to sleep pretty late and my mother woke us up this morning. Lydia likes to sleep in when she goes to bed late… Maybe that was it. I didn’t know what to do. Should I have talked to her and tried to figure it out? Would leaving it alone do any good? I _needed_ to know if it was me, or if she just didn’t feel like talking.

“I don’t know. You choose.” Well, at least that was something. Not what I wanted to hear, but she spoke.

“Come on,” I started driving again. “Are you seriously telling me there isn’t one place you want to go? At all?”

“Well… How about… What if we go to the Hershey’s factory? I mean it might not be that great once we get there. But… it’s a suggestion.” I looked at the time. It was 1:30 pm, so we still had some time to get there. Tours ended at 3.

“You’re kidding, right?” I glanced at her. “It’s Hershey’s. It’ll probably smell like chocolate everywhere. I’m sure it’ll be great.”

Lydia didn’t say anything more. She just continued staring outside. What was going through her head? Occasionally I would glance over at Lydia, and she seemed… far away. Eventually we finally made it to the chocolate factory. As soon as we parked, we found the visitor center and Lydia checked us in while I found us seats. The tour bus took forever, at least that’s how it felt when it was just me inside my own head. Lydia was sitting directly next to me, but it didn’t feel like she was really there.

Our bus arrived and we picked our seats in the middle. When everyone was sitting, the driver proceeded. We took turns pointing out things composed of chocolate throughout the ride; pool, waterfall (or I guess in this case cocoa fall), and statues in the dimly lit tunnel that lead us to the beginning of the tour of the actual factory building.

“You were right,” Lydia looked around. “It does smell like chocolate already.” We’d just walked into the building, where we were greeted by an automatic recording. I guess her voice was our tour guide. The voice came along with a lighted pathway to show us where to walk. Lydia and I stayed behind the group, so we could walk as slowly as we wanted. We followed the group into a huge room where we found a chocolate fountain. Not gonna lie; I swiped some marshmallows and dipped them in. I even offered some to Lydia, but she just smiled, raised an eyebrow, and then declined. Eh, more for me. Hmmm… Was that illegal? It kinda… feels like… stealing now.

“Jordan come on,” she pulled on my arm. “We’re so far behind the rest of the group.” I looked up and I didn’t even see them anymore. I grabbed a few more marshmallows without dipping them into chocolate, and then followed Lydia to whatever delicious room we were headed to next. Yum, Hershey’s Kisses. “Oh no,” Lydia dragged me away before I could even grab one. You know, I should’ve just brought a bag to dump this stuff in.

We continued walking and I continued eating my marshmallows, but I bumped into the wall. Because she was still holding onto my arm when it happened, Lydia and I fell into some kind of a dark room. Together. It was like a secret door. “Lydia, you okay?” I had no idea where she was.

“Yeah, I’m good.” Her voice was close, but I couldn’t see her. I reached into my pocket for my mini flashlight and switched it on. “You seriously brought a flashlight with you?” I moved the light into the direction I heard Lydia’s voice come from until I finally found her.

“I’m a cop,” I laughed. “I take a flashlight with me everywhere I go.”

Lydia jokingly rolled her eyes and smiled. “That’s like saying you also carry a gun and cuffs everywhere you go.” She folded her arms. “But I don’t see either of those on you.”

“Hm,” I walked closer to Lydia. “Stay tuned.” I looked around, but couldn’t find a way out. “You know what? I think we’re gonna be trapped for a while.”

“Gee Officer,” she giggled. “If only _I_ had realized that.” Lydia sat down on the floor, leaning on the wall. Suddenly she was quiet again, so I joined her. We sat in silence, but this time something was different. I didn’t feel like she was upset, but we were actually okay. The silence was…comfortable this time, the way it used to be before we entered this fake relationship.

Lydia rested her head on my shoulder. “You know,” she paused. “I guess Evan and I were never actually meant to get that first date after all.

“What are you talking about? I thought we agreed you’d go out with the guy. Today.”

“I know, I mean that’s what _you_ said. It just wouldn’t have felt right to do that because what if I end up kissing you again? I can’t in good conscience do both, so I had to make a choice.” Did Lydia _want_ to kiss me again?

“Lydia, no. You weren’t supposed to pick a fake relationship over what could’ve been a real one. You should be happy.” I don’t think I’ll ever really understand why she would sacrifice herself for me. Why wouldn’t she just go on the date and see for herself what would come of it?

“Jordan,” she picked her head up and turned to face me. I did the same. “Sure, he would’ve been the obvious choice because I liked him so much…” Lydia smiled. “But I would pick you over Evan any day.” Lydia seemed sincere.

I brushed a patch of hair out of Lydia’s face with my finger and let my hand stay there on her cheek. “Thank you, but no. Next time choose the guy. Don’t let my life interfere with yours.”

“ _Thank you, but no._ It’s my decision to stick by your side. Besides… I’m not entirely convinced that I still liked him much anyway. I’m oddly fine with not going out with him.” Lydia laughed. “That doesn’t sound like a good sign, huh?”

Out of nowhere I was lost—in her eyes, with my words, in my head… I was just stuck. Just yesterday morning she was excited about that date. Now she's not? What was so different? What happened between yesterday morning and today that could’ve possibly changed Lydia’s mind about Evan? Wait—the kiss? No, it couldn’t have been. It was just Lydia having a little bit of fun with me… It’s not like she suddenly started feeling differently about me just because we kissed. I could tell her I love her right now, and it wouldn’t make a difference because we’re best friends and that’s all she sees.

“Uh,” I took my hand away. “I should… try to get us out of here. Again.” I took the flashlight with me, carefully examining the walls. There was nothing except a couple of locked doors. Do you think they periodically locked people down there? Maybe. It felt like a dungeon to me. I couldn’t imagine ever getting out of there alive. I pulled at the door knobs, twisting them often. It was unrealistic, but I thought maybe I could loosen one of them and they’d lead us out.

“Jordan,” Lydia put her hands on my shoulders and pulled me back. “It’s no use. Just come back.”

“But—“

“No buts,” she pulled my hand, guiding me away from the door. “Just… Before you hurt yourself, why don’t we come up with a logical plan?” I just wanted to get out of there. I began pacing back and forth, trying to think up something logical but there was nothing coming to mind. Lydia was calm, she just examined her nails in what little light she could get while I was pacing so much. “Jordan, why are you so nervous?”

“Huh? I’m not.” I shook my head. She obviously didn’t believe me. “I can’t come up with a decent plan if I’m not pacing.”

“Hm,” Lydia crossed her arms and started walking toward me. The closer she got I began backing away. “Jordan,” her eyes locked on mine. “Do I make you nervous?”

“No,” I continued backing away. “I’m not nervous.”

“Mhm, so why are you still backing away?”

“I—I need to think clearly. And I don’t know if I can when you’re obviously trying to mess with my head.” My back hit the wall and it opened. Another secret door?

“Bingo.” Lydia smiled. “Jordan, you were being too literal… Overanalyzing the problem and solution.” She laughed. “So I thought why not have a little bit of fun while directing you to the obvious answer?”

My head dropped. I knew Lydia was brilliant, but this? This was just cruel. How long ago did she figure it out? Was that her plan all along? “After you,” I made space for Lydia to walk out of the other hidden door. It took us outside, and it was pouring down the second we got out. “Are you kidding me?” It had only been 30 seconds and I was already soaked.

“Jordan come on,” Lydia laughed. She was having way too much fun with this. We ran as fast as we could, but the car was too far away. I grabbed Lydia’s hand and pulled her underneath the nearest tree. “This just isn’t your day, is it?”

“Apparently not,” I shook my head, leaning back onto the tree.

“Jordan?” Lydia put her hand on my chest.

“Yeah?”

She shook her head. Lydia hesitated. “We can’t stay here all day.” Her hand was instantly down at her side. “We should go,” Lydia walked away. Her wet hair sticking to her shirt.

“Lydia wait,” I caught up to her. “That’s not what you were about to say. What was it?”

“We have a lot of ground to cover,” Lydia looked up at me. Maybe I was reading into it, but I could’ve sworn she wanted to say something completely unrelated to the rain. There was something else. I know it.

We’d been walking for at least ten minutes before we finally got to the tunnel. I sat down at the side, so naturally Lydia stopped to rest too. “This was a horrible idea. I’m sorry for dragging you out here.”

“Nah,” I wrapped my arm around her. “It was good for us, Lydia. Despite getting stranded, I had a great time.”

My phone was vibrating in my pocket and when I looked at it, my mom was calling. We’d been out all day. It was nearly 7 pm and mom wanted to know where I was and when I’d be going back home.

“Soon,” I promised. “We’ll be back soon.” All we had to do was make it back to my car and then we’d be on the way home. So we walked and ran until finally we were there. Patting my pockets, I couldn’t find my keys.

“Heads up,” Lydia threw something my way and I caught it. I opened my hand and realized it was my key ring. How long did Lydia have my keys? “You know, for a cop you’re not very observant. Figured you might need those when you dropped them.” She smiled and got into the passenger’s seat, happy to finally be out of the rain. I followed her lead, started the car, and drove off. What a day.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just a filler. That's why it's so short. But this one's written in Diana's POV so that's different!

“Jordan, I’m going to class now! Don’t wait up! Have work today!” Lydia ran down the stairs, yelling to him. She searched everywhere, but couldn’t find her keys. “Hey, have you seen my keys?” They were usually in her purse. Not this time. Hehe, I am so good.

I walked up to that brat who has been taking up my son’s time. “Oh, are you alright dear?” Lydia stopped and looked at me. “I heard about your troubles and I’m here to help.” I nodded at her with a fake smile.

“Okay Diana.” Lydia squinted an eye at me. “Where are they?” I pretended to be confused about the question. “What do you mean?”

“Mom, stop.” Jordan was now beside Lydia. “Give Lydia her keys.” Was that an order? I kept smiling. I had to appear innocent. Jordan crossed his arms, standing his ground. “Now, mom. Before you make Lydia late.” Nothing. I didn’t move an inch. “Fine,” Jordan dug into his pocket. “Here, Lydia, take my car.” My smile dropped. He couldn’t do that. It was against the rules! I needed a new plan. Something Jordan couldn’t interfere with. But what? I still haven’t quite figured that out, yet. Stay tuned.

“Thank you!” Lydia happily accepted his set of keys. Ah, my angel. He just can’t not help her. She turned away, but then looked at me and a smile spread across her face. I’d seen that smile before. She was about to do…something bad. Something I wasn’t awake enough for. Something cringe-worthy. Lydia turned back to my son and _kissed_ him. How could she just do that? Afterwards, she smirked at me. “See ya, Diana.” She waved at me and left. Jordan laughed. Why would he laugh? Oh boy. My sweet child has been corrupted by the evils of that girl. I need to get him away from her.

“Mom,” he saw the shock on my face. “I told you to be nice to her. Keys please.”

“Have it your way,” I groaned looking in the spice cabinet for the keys to that disgraceful sports car outside. Just as I was about to drop them in the garbage bag, Jordan took them from me. When did this become Parrish vs. Parrish? I stomped away to my bedroom. It was time to come up with my new plot to annoy her. Now I had to get rid of her for good. I went over the list of everything I’ve done so far. _Get her locked behind bars._ _Put glue in her shampoo._ _Hide her keys_. _Put hair dye in the washing machine with her clothes._

What was it, amateur hour? It was time to take it up a notch. But what could I possibly do? What would drive a wedge between her and Jordan? He won’t leave her no matter what I do. Ooh, but maybe he should witness her doing something wrong. Get ready, kids. The next time you hear from me things will be a lot more intense than they seem to be now. I will wreak havoc in this house. Anyone not with me… Well, they’re against me. Sorry Jordan. Mama’s got to teach you a very important lesson. _Never give a woman enough power to hurt you_. If I have to hurt you in order for you to get it, well then, so be it.


End file.
